Channel Catfish Photo Gallery

[aanderud]

How about that walleye ... let er swim another day, or is she taking up some real estate on your fine china?

[Whisker Warrior]

Don't worry all fish used in this post were CPR'd....However come May 9th I'll be looking for the occasional 15-17in eater.

[MinnesnowtaWild]

Nick (nsnutter) probably just forgot you can't keep them yet for a little while. We only target Catfish mostly so it can slip our minds. He would never keep anything outside of the season I can assure you.

[mascad]

Nick (nsnutter) probably just forgot you can't keep them yet for a little while. We only target Catfish mostly so it can slip our minds. He would never keep anything outside of the season I can assure you.

If he was fishing on the Mississippi he could have kept them, maybe thats what he was thinking.

[DTro]

Couple of healthy looking kitties:

[MinnesnowtaWild]

Beautiful Channels

[Slowhand]

Agreed...nice looking fish guys.

[Wiskers]

I got into some nice kitties today.. Had to work hard for them though. I ended up right in the wood for these kitties. Lost a lot of gear but found where they are all hiding nice and tight.

Fished into the evening and dark looking for a flatty... Well, here goes.

At about 9:45 I got a huge kitty on the line, took me into a snag but I kept on him and was able to get it out.. then into the current and the fight was on.. I was all by myself and this was not going to be good. It was kicking my hind-end!!! Now I also had my minnow bucket looped on the back of the boat by the motor lock.. Any how, the goliath came around to the back of the boat and was determined to get in the motor but insead go into the minnow bucket rope and some how flipped the loop off the motor and down river goes my minnow bucket........... but it floats right....?... Not when it goes into a log jam.. down it went ... sigh.. Back to fighting the FLAT..I was parked right on top of a big jam, and I had about a 20 foot circle around me that appeared to be clear but trees and dead heads all around me.. After about 15 minuets, my arms were, I'm telling ya, were smoked... well needless to say, it got back to the motor again and cut my 50# tough line. ... MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!

Of course I should be just happy I got to fight a Flatty for the first time this year but not knowing how big it was is eating me up.. All I know is it was a very good sized kitty... It was a 20-25 min fight by myself in a 14 foot Lund, in the dark... That has cluster written all over it...Worst part was I had no bait now with the bucket under that log jam.. I could not even try to renig myself.. sigh..

Any how, it was still fun. I will just have to go find it again one of these nights.

[Whisker Warrior]

Love the report wiskers! Nice channel as well...definitely got the blood pumping for those flatty's.

[Surreal Deal]

Whiskers, what's that flag you're flying off the back of your boat?

[Wiskers]

The flag is my Wiskers logo, I had a few made for parades and such a while back.

[DTro]

Dang Rusty, that sucks.

That about 24.5 minutes longer than I've fought a flat this year.

[Wiskers]

I hear ya, it was quite a let down.. Can you see the wood I was fishing in.. the cats over here have been very stubborn and the only place I have been able to find them is right in the wood. park up in the wood jam and walk on logs or drop big ball jigs down into the holes.. It is a lot of fun and totaly getting away from the traditional fishing..

[nsnutter]

You know, I have seen a few people doing just that, walking along logjams and dropping jigs down in the holes, just haven't given it much thought ... Perhaps I'll have to try it some slow afternoon! Sounds a bit risky ... any advice?

[JimBuck]

I wouldn't do it. Not worth risking one's life over a fish.

[Here-Kitty-Kitty]

I wouldn't do it. Not worth risking one's life over a fish.

All depends on the fish here!

[nsnutter]

I wouldn't do it. Not worth risking one's life over a fish.

A small part of me is saying, 'c'mon, live a little' ... but the vast majority of me is in wholehearted agreement with what you said lol

[JimBuck]

Those snags are just so unpredictable. It would be way too easy for a log to crack you in the head or fall down and hit your head and down you go. IMO, I'd rather not put friends or rescue team in that situation. The last thing I'd like to hear is a fellow fisherman going under....just keep your wits about ya'. On a related note, I saw an old In-Fisherman episode where Al & Ron Lindner were fishing for cats from shore. They were targeting Channel's in snags using these 13ft. rods with line attached to the rod (no reel). I think they were using a heavy jig to vertically present the bait in various holes within a snag....moving up and down the shoreline. It looked to be an effective method for shore fishing during the low water months. Anyways, I bring that up because it might work as a technique for getting into those spots that your unable to cast to. Good luck out there.

[Surreal Deal]

I wouldn't do it. Not worth risking one's life over a fish.

Tell that to Captain Quint!

[Wiskers]

Dont get me wrong, I dont just wonder around on the jams. Only the huge big logs by the boat. I never get only a few steps from my boat and I make sure the log is real big and dry. Other wise I fish out of the boat into the jams.

Best advise is go heavy duty. When you get one one, Set and pull like there is no tomorrow to get them up and out of the jam. Just like the Bass guys do in the heavy weeds. Start out fishing the very front edge of the jams, drop your bait down slow feeling for snags until you find a clear spot and look for slack water behind it that means the kitties will have a spot to hang out right there.

[nsnutter]

Best advise is go heavy duty. When you get one one, Set and pull like there is no tomorrow to get them up and out of the jam. Just like the Bass guys do in the heavy weeds. Start out fishing the very front edge of the jams, drop your bait down slow feeling for snags until you find a clear spot and look for slack water behind it that means the kitties will have a spot to hang out right there.

Thanks man! Perfect advice ... I know of a few very sturdy treefalls that have resulted in some promising looking snags ... Maybe I'll give er a shot sometime, although the cane pole idea would be fun as well. I have often wondered what it would be like to land a nice flat on a fly rod...

[Gordie]

have done this a few times it can be frustrating to say the least but with anything it just takes a little paitence and the pay off can be enormous!!

[nsnutter]

Were you referring to fly fishing for flats sir?

[Gordie]

no fishing the log jamps like whiskers was talking about. sorry for the misunderstanding

allthou fly fishing gear and flats now that really sounds like a fun battle

[DTro]

The Channels have really been on a tear the past few nights. Shad has been the hot bait!